Fodder and method of making the same



Patented Jan. 10, 1939 Lynwood H. Smith, Kansas city, Mo., and chm-1e,

F.Schnabel, Kansas City, Kans; said Schnabel assignor to said Smith eDrawing. ApplicationMay 1c, 1938, Serial No. 208,206 a Y eoisims. 01.99-8) ,Our inventionrelates to'fodder and to a method of making thesame, and more particularly to a fodder of greens such as grasses,legumesvegetables, and the like, possessing high food value andbiological worth in excess of anything known tothe art. s

This application is a continuation in part of our co-pendingapplication, Serial No. 48,056, filed November 2, 1935.

It has been frequently observed that immature green fodder of grasses,legumes, or vegetables has a higher feeding value than the correspond-,ing dried products. Then, too, the younger the plants the higher theproportion of contained water resulting in increased difliculty indrying them. f

Dehydration lowers the biological value of fodders especially whendesiccated by, heat. This is probably due to the oxidation and/orpyrolytic so decomposition of the more labile and unstable constituentsof the fodders. A dried fodder, for example, is markedly inferiorin itscarotene content, resulting in .a deficiency in vitamin A, theanti-infective vitamin. Then, too, the unsaturated lipins are destroyed.It is likely, further,

that other aromatic and unsaturated compounds will polymerize, loweringtheir biological value so that a desiccated or dried fodder isdistinctly inferior asa feed when compared to the fresh feed.

0 This lowered biological value is further contributed to by theleaching of soluble materials, enzymic and bacterial decomposition ofproteins and injury to certain vitamins and leaf pigments by oxidationand desiccation. =1

No method of preserving these immature fodders by ensiling has provensatisfactory for poultry, hogs, horses, and small animals such as pigs,rabbits, cats, and birds. These classes of animals, consequently, haveno satisfactory source of succulent greens in a preserved state. Theonlysatisfactory method of preserving vegetables and greens for human us hasbeen canning and sterilization by heat. The canning process, however,injures certain vitamins.

In ordinary silage, as it is known to the art, lactic acid is formed byfermentation, but other reactions take place which render .ensilageunpalatable to the classes of animals above named and for humanconsumption.

A method of dehydration which appearsto leave vitamins and biologicallybeneficial elements present in the feed in high quantities, is theso-called "flotatlon process. This method contemplates contacting thegreens momentarily to a hot gas. a The temperature at which this contactmy be mademay range from 900 11 to 1800 F. It appearsthat the leaf isnot injured by the contact with high temperatures due to the fact thatthe evaporation of water present serves tokeep the interior of the leafat a temperature below which 5 damage is done to the vitamins. Thetemperature, however, is sufficiently high to kill the bacteria on thesurface of the leaves and to destroy enzymatic action. The momentaryhigh temperature besides destroying bacteria and enzymatic 10action,,paralyzes the stomata of the leaves which are normally in openposition in a turgid leaf.

The method of dehydration pointed out above will retain a highchlorophyll content in the dried product. We have found, however, that,when this dried product is storedin ordinary manner, it will lose itscarotene content at about the rate of 50 percent per monthand willbecomeworthless as a source of vitamin A due to the deterioration of itschlorophyll, carotene andxanthophyll con- 20 tent. It appears that thesethree factors vary as a function of the chlorophyll content so that, ifthe chlorophyll can be preserved, the other biological factorsarelikewise preserved. It is known that dried greens may be kept in coldstoragein 25 order to prevent a decrease in their biological value. Thecold storage, however, of bulky products, such as dehydrated greens isan expensive proceeding. The cost of cold storageis so 'prohibitive thatfarmers cannot employ it. Even at 30 Etheloss of carotene content indried greens will average about 10. percent per month.

One object of our. invention is to provide a method of preserving youngfodders such as grasses, legumes, vegetables and the like in sub- 5stantially their fresh state, for use when fresh green fodder is notavailable.

Another object of our invention is to provide a fodder of high food andbiological value.

Another objectof our invention is to provide a ration containing allfactors needed for health, growth, and reproduction, including vitamins,proteins, lipins and minerals.

Another object of our invention is to providef'a method ofpreservingdehydrated greens for use. 4

when freshgreen fodder is not available in such a manner that thevitamin and chlorophyll content will be retained. H

Other and further objects of our invention will appear from thefollowing description. 50

In general, our invention contemplates the harvesting of young grasses,legumes, vegetables, and the like and subjecting them to our preservingmethod, which contemplates the use of buttermilk as a preservative. Theyoung legumes, or vegetables may be preserved either in the fresh stateor, if desired, subjected to a method of dehydration which will leavethe vitamin and biologically beneficial elements, present as for examplethat pointed out above. The admixing with buttermilk or the dehydration,followed by preservation with buttermilk should take place within ashort period of time after harvesting.

By buttermilk we mean any milk product such as churned buttermilk, wholemilk, skim milk or cream which has been soured by fermentation. i

By way of example and not by way of limitation, in practicing ourinvention with the preservation of fresh greens, we harvest our greenswhich may be grasses, legumes,'vegetables"or the like. These are thencut in the field and cleaned, pulped-and packed in air tight containers.

The containers in which the freshly harvested, washed, and pulped greensare placed maybe provided with relief valves for the release, of anygases of fermentation. The containers are filled completely full toexclude all air. A convenient method of handling thefresh greens is topulp them to such an extent that they are in a fluid or semi-fluidcondition, that is, to such constituency that they may be pumped. Thepulped greens may then be pumped through a pipe line into a containercontaining a quantity of oil such ascottonseed oil or other edible oil.The oil being lighter than the pulped mass will float thereon and act asa floating cover, excluding all air and, at the same time, releasing theentrapped air and such gases as might be formed. Inasmuch as freshfodder contains from to ofmoisture, it is comparatively easy to pulp thesame to such constituency that it may be pumped or allowed to fiow bygravity into the storage vats containingtheoil sealing layers.

In order to increase the food value of the pulped greens and, at thesame time, preserve them, we employ buttermilk, which containsserum'solids and calcium and magnesium salts such cottonseed oil orother edible oil. The oil being lighter than the pulped mass will floatthereon and act as a floating cover, excluding all air and, at the sametime, releasing the entrapped air and such gases as might be formed.

In order to increase the food value of the pulped greens and, at thesame time, preserve them, we employ buttermilk, which contains serumsolids and calcium and magnesium salts such-as phosphates which arenecessary for a balanced ration.

In using buttermilk as a preservative, we mix one pound of fresh,comminuted or pulped greens with about four pounds of ripened, rawbuttermilk. It is to be understood, of course, that this mixture is madeimmediately, before fermentation sets in. If desired, the discharge fromthe pulping operation can be into a common receptacle into whichbuttermilk is also fed. After the buttermilk and the fresh pulped greensare intimately mixed, the mixture is passed to a vacuum pa'n where in azone of' reduced pressure a large proportion of moisture is evaporatedby the agency of heat. The use of'a reduced pressure enables evaporationtoproceed at lower temperatures than would be otherwise possible. Theevaporation method is well known to the art and does not constitute apart of our invention. The evaporation is carried onto obtain acondensed mixture which has been partially dehydrated so that theresulting'mass will contain about 30% solids. The con- I process must becarried out with great care.

densed, viscous mixture is employed as a fodder and will keepindefinitely in barrels, as will ordinary condensed buttermilk.

Another method of preserving the green fodders contemplates the additionof buttermilk previously condensed to a lactic acid content of at least5 percent, together with a carbohydrate such as molasses. The condensedbuttermilk and carbohydrate mixture consists of equal parts by weight ofcondensed buttermilk and molasses and is fed into the freshly pulpedmass in proportion of about one percent to ten percent by weight. it isto be understood, of course, that the freshly pulped mass is in acontainer and covered with a layer of oil to exclude the air, it being afeature of our invention to exclude oxygen from the material before thenatural respiration of the leaf has ceased.

Our experiments have shown us that the main cause of failure in all pastefforts to make a satisfactory silage out of young, succulent, highprotein containing material has been due to the presence of oxygen. Anywilting of the leaf before pulpingand storage or storage in the presenceof oxygen after pulping induces the formation of butyric acid andproduces a sour silage. In accordance with the modification of ourmethod of preservation in which a mixture of buttermilk and acarbohydrate is employed, the mixture acts as a starter and naturalfermentation ensues forming a silage. The silage thus prepared fermentsat low temperatures (under 25;

C.) and develops two percent of acidityand a pH below four, within a fewdays. If desired, an inorganic acid, such as hydrochloric acid, may beadded in small quantities to lower the pH of the mixture. The pulpedensilage mass thus formed may be kept indefinitely and retains itsoriginal color.

We have found that it is possible to form a silage of fresh fodderspulped in the manner described immediately after harvesting and storedin the absence of air, by natural fermentation. The addition ofbuttermilk and a carbohydrate,

however, not only serves as a starter but beneficially controls thefermentation so that the proper I acidity and pH are developed in amarkedly shorter time.

The silage thus produced has a pleasant aroma and a fruity taste andfurnishes a source of fresh succulent greens for stock and for yeararound use. The added buttermilk incorporates milk proteins and serumsolids as well as milk salts.

It is understood that by greens we mean grasses, legumes and vegetableshaving a chlorophyll content. Furthermore, while our fodder is primarilyof value for use in feeding animals, certain vegetables, as for examplespinach, can be satisfactorily preserved by our method for humanconsumption. For vegetables intended for human consumption, carefulwashing must immediatelyfollow the harvesting and the It will be readilyapparent that, by means of our method of preservation, the vitamins andmore labile compounds which are of great biological and nutritionalvalue, are preserved.

Instead of preserving the entire pulp, the fresh greens may be subjectedto a pressing operation to extract the juices and the juices may then bepreserved by means of buttermilk or lactic acid bacillus fermentation inthe absence of air, in the a be added to the usual dry rations, givinganimals a vitamin and lipin quota. which appears to be so preservationwith buttermilk, the dehydration takes place in such a manner as tocause minimum damage to the biologically beneficial elements. wepreferto use the dehydration method called the flotation process". Thedehydration,

as pointed out above, takes place within a short time after harvesting.The dehydrated product is a bright green in color, indicating that ithas retained a high chlorophyll content; This chlorophyll contentwill'deteriorate in storage and we subject the dehydrated product topreservation by means of our method employing butter- .milk. We havefound that the buttermilk preserves the chlorophyll and that this resultis not due to the lactic acid content alone. Whenlactic acid solutionsare used, of strength comparable to the lactic acid content of thebuttermilk, we have found that the chlorophyll content is destroyed andthe greens will turn brown. showing deterioration in its biologicalcontent. The dehydrated greens may, if desired, be comminuted and thecomminuted, dehydrated greens preserved by buttermilk.

It will be seen that we have accomplished the objects of our invention.We have provided a fodder comprising comminuted greens intimately mixedand preserved by buttermilk in such a manner that the chlorophyllcontent will be re tained. By means of our invention we are able tosupply farmers, stockmen and poultrymen with a feed containing all thenecessary factors for health, growth and reproduction includingvitamins, proteins, lipins and minerals. These factors are not presentor are greatly reduced in known feeds.

It will be understood that certain features and subeombinations are ofutility and may be employed without reference to other features andsub-combinations. This is contemplated byand is within the scope ofourclaims. It is further details within the scope of our claims withoutdeparting from the spirit of our invention. It is, therefore, to beunderstood that our invention is not to be limited to the specificdetails shown and described.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

obvious that various changes may be made 1. A fodder comprisingcomminuted greens intimately admixed and preserved with buttermilk.

2. A fodder comprising in combination a minor proportion of comminutedfresh greens intimately admixed and preserved with a major proportion ofbuttermilk.

3. A fodder comprising in combination comminuted fresh greens intimatelyadmixed and preserved with buttermilk in proportion of approximately onepart of fresh greens by weight to approximately four parts of buttermilkby weight.

4. A fodder comprising in combination a partially dehydrated intimatemixture of comminuted fresh greens and buttermilk, the latter actingas apreservative agent.

5. A fodder comprising in combination an inti-'- mate mixture ofcomminuted fresh greens and buttermilk, partially dehydrated to a solidscontent of approximately 30 percent, said buttermilk acting as apreservative agent.

6. A method of preserving fodders including the steps of harvestingyoung,. fresh, succulent greens, and admixing the fresh greens withbuttermilk.

7. A fodder comprising dehydrated greens having a high chlorophyllcontent intimately admixed and preserved with buttermilk.

8. A fodder comprising in combination a minor proportion of dehydratedcomminuted greens having a high chlorophyll content intimately admixedand preserved with a major proportion of buttermilk.

9. A fodder comprising in combination partially dehydrated, chlorophyllcontaining, comminuted greens admixed with buttermilk, the latter actingas a preservative agent.

LYNWOOD E. SMITH. CHARLES 1!. ECHNABEL.

